Judicial Greffe: Family Court: Reserve Funding

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A decision made on 22 December 2021

Decision Reference: MD-TR-2021-0147
Decision Summary Title:	Reserve Funding for Judicial Greffe for Family Court		Date of Decision Summary:	14th December 2021
Decision Summary Author:	Specialist – Business Cases		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	n/a
Written Report Title:	Reserve Funding for Judicial Greffe for Family Court		Date of Written Report:	14th December 2021
Written Report Author:	Specialist – Business Cases		Written Report: Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: The allocation of up to £266,000 from the General Reserve (DEL) to Judicial Greffe head of expenditure.
Decision(s): The Minister approved an allocation of up to £266,000 from the General Reserve (DEL) to Judicial Greffe head of expenditure to enable the relocation and running costs of the Family Court in line with their associated business case.
Reason(s) for Decision: Article 15(3) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019 states that the approval by the States of a Government Plan authorises the Minister to direct how an approved appropriation for a reserve head of expenditure in the plan may be spent (including on another head of expenditure) in the first financial year covered by the plan. The current Policy for Allocations from the Reserve, presented to the States Assembly as R.60/2021, sets the requirement that all allocations from the General Reserve (DEL) are recommended for approval by the Treasurer of the States, taking into account comments from the Principal Accountable Officer (PAO), prior to submission to the Minister for approval. Where a request for funding is made by Treasury and Exchequer, the Policy requires that the Principal Accountable Officer also recommends the request to the Minister. This has been circulated to the Council of Ministers in accordance with the requirements of the policy. The Investment Appraisal Team has reviewed the business case for this request as part of the Government Plan 2022-25 revenue investment workstream and recommends it for approval on the basis that they have been agreed as strategic priorities by the Council of Ministers as part of the Government Plan process. The future years effects of this business case will be addressed and resourced in the Government Plan 2022-2025, subject to approval of the States Assembly. Following this review, the Treasurer, taking into account comments from the PAO, recommends that the Minister allocates funding from the General Reserve (DEL). The Minister for Treasury and Resources signed a Letter of Comfort on 16th July 2021 stating that she would ring-fence up to £266,000 should the initial costs not be affordable from within the Judicial Greffe head of expenditure. It is highly unlikely that all of this budget is required for 2021 and Judicial Greffe will only receive budget required for a break-even position (excluding court and case costs) for 2021.
Resource Implications: The General Reserve (DEL) to decrease by up to £266,000 and Judicial Greffe head of expenditure to increase by the same amount. The future years effect of this allocation will be addressed and resourced in the Government Plan 2022-2025, subject to approval of the States Assembly. This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure approved by the States in the Government Plan 2021-24.
Action required: The Head of Financial Governance to advise the Specialist – Business Cases and the relevant Heads of Finance Business Partnering that this decision is approved.
Signature:		Position: Deputy S J Pinel, Minister for Treasury and Resources
Date Signed:		Date of Decision: